Obituary

Nancy Voss Scott
June 16, 1937-October 15, 2023

Nancy Voss Scott, age 86, of Lake Forest and recently of Lake Balboa, California, peacefully passed away on October 15, 2023. Born on June 16, 1937, in Jersey City, New Jersey, Nancy Ann was the daughter of Anna Rose Houlihan Voss and William Charles Voss. She had three siblings: William, Leonard and Elizabeth.

Nancy grew up in Union City, New Jersey, in a three family home purchased by her parents just before the stock market crash in 1929. Her family lived on the second floor while her paternal grandparents and Aunt Deane (Ernestine) lived on the first. The youngest, Nancy, came along thirteen years after her beloved sister, Betty, who in turn gave birth to her daughter, Mary, when Nancy was just thirteen. Her brothers were in the National Guard, and as the United States entered the Second World War in 1941 they were activated when Nancy was four years old. She spent many happy days with her parents especially her Mother, who made all her dresses, and who always took Nancy with her on the bus to New York City, and to St. Joseph’s and St. Anne’s to pray the Novenas for the boys, who survived the war. Her Father owned the candy and stationery store across from the house on Hudson Boulevard, and after Nancy started kindergarten at Jefferson Grade School in North Bergen, he would walk her home for lunch and back to school afterwards. The family enjoyed Sunday outings such as riding the Hudson River Day Line steamboat up the river to Poughkeepsie. Nancy attended Holy Rosary Academy High School. Later, she was a bridesmaid in her sister’s wedding and became a devoted Aunt to her many nieces and nephews. After high school she started working for New Jersey Bell in what would turn out to be a thirty-year career spanning three states.

While studying at Seton Hall, she met her future husband, David Andrew Scott, and they married in 1960 at St. Joseph’s Church in Union City. They started a family and, before their first baby arrived, they were transferred to the Midwest for David’s job in sales. They lived briefly in Illinois, and then settled in Golden Valley, Minnesota, where they raised their four children: Thomas, Cynthia, Michael and Brent. Nancy cherished being a wife and mother, although, with three children under three at one point, her hands were full. She made the house a loving home, and she devoted herself to taking care of the family throughout the years. She was beautiful inside and out, and she lived her life with a warmth and kindness that her children, husband and friends relished. While in Minnesota, she picked up her career at Northwestern Bell before another job transfer in 1979 led the family to the City of Orange in Southern California. There she continued at Pacific Telephone and AT&T. In Orange, she helped her children make the transition to their new home, and supported them throughout high school and as they started to make their ways in the world. Throughout the years, Nancy made and kept life-long friends wherever she lived and worked, and she had a knack for being able to move on to the next home, workplace and each new church family with an easy grace.

Nancy retired from the telephone company in 2001—yet continued working part-time in a therapist’s office for several years—after relocating with her husband to Lake Forest. They loved seeing their children and grandchildren, and spending time together all around Southern California and beyond, especially watching sports, going to concerts at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, and taking walks, picnics and weekends in Laguna Beach. She took an active part in her parish, Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church, where she studied the Bible, and volunteered as a Eucharistic Minister—taking Holy Communion to home bound parishioners—and as part of the “Crafts for Christ” group she knitted and crocheted hats and scarves for the less fortunate. She loved seeing and talking to family and friends, both near and far, to catch up and share the latest stories and funny happenings and goings on. A year after losing her husband in 2020, Nancy moved to Lake Balboa to live with her daughter and son-in-law. There she continued enjoying all the activities, family and friends she cared for so much. Almost daily she would walk, study the Bible, read novels, work on puzzles, crochet for charity, and follow the Dodgers and British dramas on PBS. Even though she endured the pitfalls of osteoporosis—especially in the last five months of her life—her faith, family and friends sustained her during this time. After a full life of love and devotion she was at peace, trusting in God and Mother Mary to carry her home at last to her eternal rest.

She is survived by her loving children: daughter Cynthia Scott (son-in-law Greg Reeves), three sons Thomas Scott, Michael Scott and Brent Scott (daughter-in-law Wendy Scott); her grandchildren: Emma and Sophie Scott; her sisters- and brother-in-law: Virginia Haindl, John Scott and Janet Scott; and her nieces and nephews.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation at: https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org (click “Support BHOF” and follow the links to make a “memorial donation”) in memory of Nancy V. Scott.